


Monster

by finwritesthings



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blood and Gore, Gen, Minor Character Death, Post-Season 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 09:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14829423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/finwritesthings/pseuds/finwritesthings
Summary: The Paladins of Voltron have returned home, excited for a break from the raging war and to spend time with their families. But, like all good things, it must eventually come to an end; and Lance is forced to face the reality of what it truly means to be in a war.





	Monster

Lance lines up his scope with one of the Galra Keith has backed against the tilted ship. It’s become less and less difficult for Lance to pull the trigger, this time is no exception. Keith’s head whips around to see Lance, already moving to his next target; a nod of thanks and then Keith is moving on too.

 

He wasn’t sure how or when this had all started, really. They’d come back to Earth, Lance had gotten to see his family. They’d been sitting in the living room, caught between crying, hugging, and telling each other of all the things that had happened since Lance had left. Lance could barely see through his tears and his throat was raw, but he hadn’t grinned so wide in so long. Lance barely remembers what happened between those perfect moments and now, fighting off soldiers of the broken Galra Empire. They had landed here, on Earth, somehow right outside Lance’s childhood home.

 

Lance weaves his way to the edge of the battle, bracing his gun and arms on an overturned bench as he takes aim. He doesn’t register whether each fallen enemy is living or robotic, he just pulls the trigger, and pulls the trigger, _and pulls the trigger_. He doesn’t keep count, not anymore. When the pile of bodies left in your wake has grown so high that you can’t see where the bloodshed stops, the numbers really don’t seem to matter. There is no hesitation in his motions nor his Bayard as yet another stepped up behind him, swinging down a Galran blade only to be met with his own. There is no pause in his breath as he twists and sinks the sword deep into living flesh. There is no sorrow for yet another life lost. Lance simply spins back around and takes aim once more, a perfect little soldier boy.

 

And yet, not quite. He hears a cry from across the raging war, heart plummeting as his mind brings forth images he did not want to see. His head whips up. Sickening relief sinking through him as he registers the empty face of someone he doesn’t know, lying still across the way. Though it may not have been his family, the fear still lingers, as they sit but yards away, scared and helpless in Lance’s own home. The only thing standing between them as they are and becoming yet another pile of corpses was Lance and the rest of the team. They need to win this battle.

 

Coran’s voice shatters through Lance’s racing thoughts, cutting through the static of their comms. “Allura is coming in with a small rescue ship for the civilians, but we need one of you to lead them to field behind the houses, away from the battle.” A sharp intake of breath as Coran’s words hit him. They were going to be okay.

 

“Lance, you go. Get your family and everyone else to Allura, we’ll take care of this.” Shiro’s voice is taught as he shoves off a Galran blade. His chest heaves as he turns from across the field, leveling Lance with stern eyes. “Now. This is an order.”

 

His feet are slightly unsteady underneath him, taking him backwards as he keeps his gun raised. He can’t help but pause for a moment, unsure if he can really leave his teammates for his family.

 

“Go on buddy, we got this.” Hunk’s voice is gentle, despite his obvious exhaustion.

 

“C’mon Lance, they need you.” Pidge is quick to chime in.

 

“Trust us.” Keith’s voice is steady, no signs of the battle around him.

 

“Lance.” Shiro’s voice is much softer this time. No longer telling Lance but assuring him.

 

Lance scans the battle one more time before turning and booking it up the steps of his front porch. The door rattles in its frame as Lance slams it shut with his shoulder. His lungs heave for air as his knuckles dig into the hardwood.

 

“Lance!” His mother rushes him, hands tugging at his armour gently, trying to assess him for injuries.

 

His voice sounds weird in his own head, “I’m fine. But we have to go. Allura is coming with a small rescue ship and we have to get everyone out to meet her.” Lance is pushing off on unsteady feet, his brain still struggling to catch up with everything that’s happening.

 

Lance calls out to the rest of his family as he makes his way to the back door. He wants nothing more than to stop and make sure they’re all okay and to never leave them again; but he has a job to do, he’s a paladin of Voltron now. Lance scans the backyard, dipping into what seemed like an endless field of farmland. His family is quick to follow, desperate to get away from the battle. They make their way around to the few houses in the area, getting everyone outside and started towards the field. Allura’s ship settles into the plowed dirt, and despite the noise of the fight, someone is bound to notice. They have to hurry.

 

“Okay, everyone’s out and heading to you.” Lance counts the houses again, making sure they went to each. He can’t let anyone else get hurt. As he assures himself they’ve got everyone, he starts to think they just might make it out of this.

 

Those thoughts don’t last long.

 

“Paladin!” Lance is spinning around to find the source of the voice, but he’s only fast enough to watch the gunfire, aiming straight for his mother.

 

The scream that tears through his throat sounds like a dying animal. Everything feels like it’s moving far too slowly as he watches her crumple to the ground, failing to reach her in time. Her clothes are already soaked by the time he gets to her, blood seeping through every thread of fabric. His panicked hands scramble to press down on her wound, trying to stop the blood flow. Distantly he knows he’s yelling, begging her to say something to him, anything. Distantly he knows he’s not going to get a response.

 

His shoulders sink as realization sets in, trembling hands gripping her shirt in fists. He slowly draws her onto his lap, ignoring the ache in his knees, the slick sensation of blood soaking through his suit. He cradles her close, rocking her in his arms as she used to do to him.

 

Lance feels like he’s being crushed, not by the body lying in his arms, but by his own ribs as they collapse in on his lungs, by his own mind as the voice in the back of his head tells him _‘This is your fault’_. Tears stain her cheeks as Lance’s body spasms with sobs, blood matting her hair where he’d brushed it from her face. He buries his face in her shoulder, arms holding her close, just like when he was young and afraid of the monsters under his bed. His screams were muffled by her shirt, her body hanging limp in his grip.

 

“Pathetic. You humans really are weak.” Lance could barely see as his gaze drifted up. He had no idea who this bastard was, no idea how they knew who to target or why; he didn’t care. Lance gently lay his mother on the blood-slick grass, thumb brushing across her cheek briefly before he stood. Lance’s Bayard felt heavy in his hand.

 

“What, are you going to kill me? You’ve already shown that you’re far too weak for that. Look at you, you can barely stand. I kill your mother, and this is what it does? Well, it’s a good thing the rest of the paladins aren’t this weak or you’d all be done for by now.” Lance raises his gun, lining up for a perfect shot.

 

He stared down his gun, not really seeing the face of his mother’s killer. His mind drifted to memories of scraped knees, licking batter of spoons, weekends spent in bed with tissues and soup, nights he’d wake up screaming, dreading the things hiding in the dark corners of his room. Every step of the way she’d been there. There had never been a day while he was gone that he hadn’t missed her. The moment that she wrapped her arms around him again had felt like placing that one puzzle piece you’d been missing. He had no idea that hug would be his last. The family picture he kept in his armour felt like it was melting through his suit.

 

 

Lance wonders what his younger self would have thought if he knew that monsters don’t look like the things they show on TV. That monsters are everywhere, that he’d grow up to spend every day fighting them.

 

It’s so easy to pull the trigger.

 

His chest feels hollow as Lance stares down at his mother. He wonders how many bodies she makes and if she could have protected him from the only monster left standing now.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a piece I did for the [Lance Flash Bang](http://voltronbigbang.tumblr.com/). I had the lovely [Nikole](https://nikole-kephir.tumblr.com/) as my partner for this event! She did such an amazing job with the [art](https://nikole-kephir.tumblr.com/post/174503525466/monster-my-first-bang-with-a-limited-color) for this piece, I am absolutely floored by her talent and she was just genuinely a lovely person to work with!
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated <3


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